Using miles to travel to Iran?
Feb 13, 2012 | 8:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 437
Using miles to travel to Iran?
Hi all,
I'm hoping to use miles to travel from Frankfurt-Tehran in December.
Unsurprisingly, Continental and United don't seem to allow award redemptions to Iran. I assume that this is also true for US Airways.
However, I was somewhat surprised that I can't use ANA miles for this redemption, either.
Do I have other options? Membership Rewards transfer to Air Canada, for example?
Thanks!
I'm hoping to use miles to travel from Frankfurt-Tehran in December.
Unsurprisingly, Continental and United don't seem to allow award redemptions to Iran. I assume that this is also true for US Airways.
However, I was somewhat surprised that I can't use ANA miles for this redemption, either.
Do I have other options? Membership Rewards transfer to Air Canada, for example?
Thanks!
Feb 13, 2012 | 9:44 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
Hi all,
I'm hoping to use miles to travel from Frankfurt-Tehran in December.
Unsurprisingly, Continental and United don't seem to allow award redemptions to Iran. I assume that this is also true for US Airways.
However, I was somewhat surprised that I can't use ANA miles for this redemption, either.
Do I have other options? Membership Rewards transfer to Air Canada, for example?
Thanks!
I'm hoping to use miles to travel from Frankfurt-Tehran in December.
Unsurprisingly, Continental and United don't seem to allow award redemptions to Iran. I assume that this is also true for US Airways.
However, I was somewhat surprised that I can't use ANA miles for this redemption, either.
Do I have other options? Membership Rewards transfer to Air Canada, for example?
Thanks!
In any case, I'd suggest getting a fully refundable ticket. No reason in particular, just saying.
Feb 14, 2012 | 1:50 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Delta can get to Doha via miles from Amsterdam, but difficult to book.
Consider Qatar FRA-IKA via DOH. If you don't have miles with them or one of their partners, maybe you can use BA miles to get to DOH and buy a ticket to Tehran. I would check the airlines that fly to Iran and see if there is some intermediate transfer point (DOH, DBX, whatever) that you can get to via whatever airline(s) you have or can get miles on, and then buy a ticket to IKA.
In any case, I'd suggest getting a fully refundable ticket. No reason in particular, just saying.
In any case, I'd suggest getting a fully refundable ticket. No reason in particular, just saying.
Feb 14, 2012 | 6:41 am
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: US Chairman, Marriott Platinum, PCR Platinum, and SPG Gold
Posts: 1,244
US might do it. If they don't you could get to IST and buy a ticket from there or if you have Amex points you could transfer to ANA and use those miles to book.
Feb 14, 2012 | 9:16 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AA,DL,BA,UA,SPG, and any other free trip!
Posts: 1,803
You want to use miles to fly to IST, and consider buying a R/T ticket on a discount carrier from IST - IKA. They are relatively cheap....sometimes around $120USD total...
Mahan Air
Pegasus
AtlastJet
Kish Airways
Mahan Air
Pegasus
AtlastJet
Kish Airways
Feb 14, 2012 | 11:25 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 437
What I really want to do is avoid such complications and extra costs and fly directly from Frankfurt on LH.
The question is: will any Star Alliance carrier (US, CO, UA, ANA, AC) allow me to do that using miles? I have plenty of US and US miles, as well as Membership Rewards points.
The answer seems to be no with CO and UA, since Tehran doesn't come up when I try to do an award search. ANA gave me an error when I tried their engine, even though it would allow me to book to other hotspots (Erbil, Iraq, for example).
The question is: will any Star Alliance carrier (US, CO, UA, ANA, AC) allow me to do that using miles? I have plenty of US and US miles, as well as Membership Rewards points.
The answer seems to be no with CO and UA, since Tehran doesn't come up when I try to do an award search. ANA gave me an error when I tried their engine, even though it would allow me to book to other hotspots (Erbil, Iraq, for example).
Feb 14, 2012 | 11:33 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AA,DL,BA,UA,SPG, and any other free trip!
Posts: 1,803
What I really want to do is avoid such complications and extra costs and fly directly from Frankfurt on LH.
The question is: will any Star Alliance carrier (US, CO, UA, ANA, AC) allow me to do that using miles? I have plenty of US and US miles, as well as Membership Rewards points.
The answer seems to be no with CO and UA, since Tehran doesn't come up when I try to do an award search. ANA gave me an error when I tried their engine, even though it would allow me to book to other hotspots (Erbil, Iraq, for example).
The question is: will any Star Alliance carrier (US, CO, UA, ANA, AC) allow me to do that using miles? I have plenty of US and US miles, as well as Membership Rewards points.
The answer seems to be no with CO and UA, since Tehran doesn't come up when I try to do an award search. ANA gave me an error when I tried their engine, even though it would allow me to book to other hotspots (Erbil, Iraq, for example).
Feb 14, 2012 | 2:06 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: New York, NY
Programs: The Golden status boy
Posts: 854
This. Can't use AA miles to book a flight from Lima to Havana on LAN either.
Feb 14, 2012 | 2:35 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
The question is: will any Star Alliance carrier (US, CO, UA, ANA, AC) allow me to do that using miles? I have plenty of US and US miles, as well as Membership Rewards points.
Last edited by uszkanni; Feb 14, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Feb 14, 2012 | 8:01 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 437
I figured that this was the case, which is why it surprised me that I can't seem to book it with ANA miles, either. That's why I suggested the Air Canada solution -- I can't check it myself, since I don't have an Aeroplan account.
Feb 14, 2012 | 8:09 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Scenic Great Plains USA
Programs: AGR Starwood Whoever I can get points with :D
Posts: 677
http://awardfinder.juny4ng.com/ is also a handy tool.